Electric incandescent lamp and circuits and conductors therefor.



PATENTED APR. 21

G. WEISSMANN. ELECTRIC INGANDESGENT LAMP AND CIRCUITS AND GONDUGTORS THEREFOR.

APPLIOATIOR rnnnme. 1a. 1902.

H0 IODEL.

UNITED STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

GUSTAVE WVEISS MA NN, OF PARIS, FRANCE.

ELECTRIC INCANDESCENT LAMP AND CIRCUITS AND CONDUCTORS THEREFOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 726,124, dated April 21, 1903. Application filed August 16, 1992. S erial No. 119,920. tNo'model.)

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Incandescent Lamps and Circuits and Conductors Therefor, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric incandes cent lamps and to circuits and conductors therefor for decorative and other purposes.

The means at present employed for moun ting and connecting lamps all require the use of lamp sockets and caps. Whatever may be the type of sockets and caps employed, they are always very bulky relatively to the dimensions of the lamp, and-hence for decorative effects or lusters and to obtain a subdivision of the light the dimensions of the bulbs of the lamps are generally reduced as much as possible. The effects which it is desired to attain cannot, however, be properly realized in this way, because, as a matter of fact, the support or connector of each lamp becomes larger than the lamp itself. Now my improved system permits of doing away with the socket and the cap altogether, and consequently of obtaining a totally new luster arrangement, lending itself to entirely novel andstriking decorative effects.

With my arrangement the lamp instead of carrying a cap, which would necessitate a socket, has merely twolhooks or eyelets, which form its two terminals and are designed to hook onto loops or hooks at the extremities of the two branch conductors from which the lamp is intended to be suspended.

In order that the points of attachment of the lamp may be completely hidden or concealed and insulated externally from each other and that proper electrical contact of the hooks of the lamp may be absolutely assured, each conductor carries at its extremity a small ball or bead of glass or any other suitable insulating material of any convenient shape having a hollowed-out interior, taperingtoward its upper part, and capable of being displaced slightly along the conductor. When one of the lamps is not suspended, the insulating-bead is prevented from coming ofI" by the contact-hook at the end of the conductor, whereas when a lamp is hooked on the insulating-bead of each conductor both completely hides the point of attachment and alsoinsures in a permanent manner the electrical contact of the hook and the loop either by reason of its weight alone or in addition to that of the weight of the other beads above it.

The lamp may be arranged to hook directly onto the extremities of the branch conductors or it may have two auxiliary conductors furnished with beads arranged on the lamp and attached to the conductors by the arrangement above specified.

The main conductors,onto which the branch conductors are hung or coupled at any of the different desired points of derivation, are furnished throughout their length with beads of crystal, glass, or any other suitable insulating material intended to insulate and to conceal or disguise the conductors, and especially the points. of connection of the branch circuits.

The annexed drawings show, by way of example, certain forms of my improved arrangement of mounting.

' Figure 1 is an elevation showing the general arrangement. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line A B, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows a lamp ready to be mounted. Fig. 4: shows a modified arrangement. Fig. 5 shows a festoon or garland of lamps according to my invention.

As is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the main conductors a a are formed of metal, insulated or otherwise, on which are threaded beads of crystal, glass, or any other insulating material. These beads, which may be of variable dimensions relatively to one another and of any suitable forms, are juxtaposed in such a manner as to conceal and insulate the con.- ductors along their wholelength. This arrangement assures, therefore, a perfect insulation of the main conductors and also permits the employment of bare or uninsulated metallic conductors. When-the-main conductors are placed vertically,-the beads rest upon one another .by reason of; their weight alone. When, on the other hand, the conductors require to be arranged horizontally, there is introduced into the interior of the end bead of each conductor or of the two end heads a very small spring 0, completely hidden in the bead. Either arrangement causes the beads to press one against the other, permitting of their ready separation or displacement, however, when a lamp connection has to be made. At intervals along the main conductors a a are the branch conductors cl (1 d d of the derivation-circuits. Each of these latter comprises two metallic conductors insulated in the usual Way or equally well insulated like the main conductors by means of beads. Each conductor of the derivationcircuits is terminated by an uninsulated loop 6, which supports a large bead f, the cavity in whose interior is contracted toward the upper part, so that it can be pushed upward, but not downward. When the bead f is in the lowest position, as in the case of the circuit 61 61 the loop 6 is lodged about the middle of the bead and is completely insulated thereby. The beads f should be capable of being pushed back along the conductor for a sufficient distance to clear the loops 6 in order that it may be possible to engage these latter with the hooks by which. the lamps are suspended, as has been mentioned.

The lamps, which are, as stated, formed without caps, have two eyelets or loops g, into which the conducting wires h h are hooked, these wires being either insulated simply by the beads of insulating material (crystal or glass) threaded on the conductors or else insulated in the ordinary manner. Each of these wires, Fig. 3, terminates in an uninsulated hook 2'.

In order to hook one of the lamps onto one of the derivation-circuits-d d, for example from the main conductors a a, each of the beadsfis raised sufficiently to uncover and lay bare the loop e, and the hooks i are then engaged in these loops. The beads fthen redescend by their own weight and insure the contact between the hooks 'iand the loops 6, and also insulate them perfectly.

The contact between the small eyelets g of the lamp itself and of the corresponding hooks j of the auxiliary conductors h h is insured by the weight of the lamp and also by the weight of the whole chain of beads of the auxiliary conducting-wires which bear upon the glass lugs ll? of the bulb. Each of the conducting-wires h h carries atits lower part a bead Z, hollowed out internally in such a manner that when dropped into position it completely incloses the hookj and the eyelet g, and consequently insulates them perfect-1y.

It is quite evident that the main conductors may assume all manner of forms, and

the same applies to the beads in which they.

are inclosed.

The two beads f can be united together in a single bead f, Fig. 4, having two hollowedout cavities, each of which allows the passage of a conducting-wire. The two lowermost beads of the conductors h h adjacent to the hooks 2' may equally be united into a single piece. This arrangement will permit of easily engaging both hooks of the lamp at the same time instead of only hooking them on one after the other. The two hooks 7 can be engaged directly with the main conductors a a without the intermediary of the beadsf or the conductors d d. The weight of the lamp will suffice to draw the hooks into engagement with the conductors sufficiently to insure proper contact. It is necessary in this case to arrange in the two beads of the main conductor a a, between which each hook is inserted, grooves or notches in such a manner that the said hooks may be properly insulated. The lamp may also equally be hooked directly onto the derivation-circuit d 01 without the intermediary of the conductors 77, 7t.

It is quite evident that the position of the hooks and of the loops and eyelets may be reversed.

My invention permits of instantly forming derivation-circuits from the main conductor and of mounting on any installations-a luster or electrolier, for examplea very large number of contacts for the current in readiness for the lamps and completely hidden by the beads which cover themas, for example, the. derivation d d, Fig. 1. The invention therefore allows of very easily changing at will the number and arrangement of the lamps. I reserve to myself also the right to apply lamps mounted as shown in Fig. 3 on any ordinary circuit by means of a plug and socket, a contact-plug, or any other appropriate arrangement.

My invention allows of forming garlands or festoons capable of adapting themselves to contact devices of all kinds, Fig. 5. In this latter figure the two main conductors a a of the festoon are each led at one of their extremities onto the hooks of a pair of contactplugs m, their other two extremities being insulated from one another and led onto any suitable-heekarraiigeTient. In the case of a luster or electrolier it suffices for the extremities of the conductors of each festoon to terminate either in hooks intended to be mounted on fixed contact-plugs, as indicated above, or by means of contact-plugs intended to engage in the socket of the ordinary electrolier. By my improvements, therefore, it is easy to transform any existing electroliers and to modify at will their decorative and luminous effects.

My system of mounting and connecting lamps can be applied to apparatus and lighting installations of all kinds, and to electroliers of all forms, and I reserve to myself to modify the shape of the beads and the arrangement of the conductors according to the different applications.

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim is- 1. Thecombinationofanincandescentelectric lamp, each of the poles thereof terminating in a hook or loop; a conductor attached to each of said hooks or loops; and a non-con ducting body movably mounted on each of said conductors, and provided with a recess to receive the adjacent hook or loop.

2. The combination of a pair of conductors; a plurality of non-conducting bodies movably arranged upon each of said conductors; and an incandescent electric lamp, one of the poles thereof contacting with one of said conductors between two of the non-conducting bodies thereon, and the other pole thereof contacting with the other of said conductors between two of the non-conducting bodies thereon.

3. The combination of a pair of main conductors a plurality of non-conducting bodies movably arranged thereon; a pair of branch conductors, one of said branch conductors contacting with one of said main conductors between two of the non-conducting bodies thereon and the other of said branch conductors contacting with the other of said main conductors between two of the non-conducting bodies thereon; a plurality of non-conducting bodies arranged on each of said branch conductors; and an incandescent electric lamp, one of the poles of said lamp being connected with one of said branch conductors, and the other pole of said lamp being connected with the other of said branch conductors.

4. The combination of a pair of main condnctors; a plurality of non-conducting bodies movably arranged thereon; a pair of branch conductors,one of said branch conductors contacting with one of said main conductors between two of the non-conducting bodies thereon, and the other of said branch conductors contacting with the other of said main conductors between two of the non-conducting bodies thereon; a plurality of non-conducting bodies movably arranged on each of said branch conductors; and an incandescent electric lamp, each of the poles thereof terminating in a hook or loop which is engaged by one of said branch conductors, the non-conducting body on each of said branch conductors adjacent to said hook or loop being recessed to receive said hook or loop.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in'presence of two subscribingwit- DGSSGS.

GUSTAVE WEISSMANN,

Witnesses:

EDWARD P. MAOLEAN, GEORGES HOUPLAIN. 

